Forum wish list

This has been brought up a few times before... until there is "critical mass" for such a sub-forum, the place for such posts is in the forum that already exists. Starting the Subject with CR> (or something along those lines) is what is currently recommended to make topics/threads relating to that apparent.

What is the criteria for "critical mass"? Would it help to start a compain or take a vote? Unless there is some way to get everyone to format the posts it is never going to be possible to find all the topics. How can we go about forming a forum? I would really like to see a consolidated forum for conveying user experience to the design team as it seems there is a disconnect somewhere.

I have only used Power Civil for close to 2 years so I don't have much experience with how things work in the Bentley world, but when I see big deficiencies in the software that should be fundamental in any design application I can't help but wonder why they have not been addressed after being in use for so many years. It leaves me thinking that there is either a lack of response to the end user's needs on the part of the development team or there is a lack of input from the users or there is a disconnect between the development team and the end users. So far in the many cases where I have presented issues I have with the software, the usual response is a cumbersome or inadequate workaround and ocasionally a bug report. I don't know if there is anything being done to resolve the problems and honestly, based on how long the issues have been around, I doubt there is anything being done about them.

I don't like to be negative but this is my perception based on my experience. Others obviously feel otherwise and seem quite happy with things as they are. Our perceptions and experience are no doubt highly influenced by the type of work we do, the software we use, and the support resources we have available to us. In my case I feel my software has some serious deficinecies, so serious that I am reluctant to recommend it's implementation for our company in spite of it's many strengths. I really like Microstation and Power Civil for the most part, and I wish I could commit to it, but the deficencies I have encountered leave me doubting it should be our tool of choice.

If anyone is interested in what I percieve are these "serious deficienies", please review my "wish" posts in the forum. I will continue to post more in hopes it somehow makes a difference. Unfortunately for us it appears that we will have to move on to another solution.

Really Steve Meyer... do you really hold "requent meetings"? How frequent are the requent meetings? Sorry man, I'll buy beers at the next conference ;-)

But seriously Phil, this exhibits the post subject "forum wish list"... how come this forum doesn't underline misspeled words for us?

Granted, most other forums are much simpler than this one; none of the other forums (I'm ever seen) make users pick their own tags. If the categories here were better arranged, it would eliminate the need for making us pick our own tags. Unless users put the product/version/application/tool/option/setting directly in the subject line, it makes getting and following information in this forum rather cloudy. Does anyone else think this?

Here's my wish list for a better forum:
1 - better categorization of products
2 - eliminate the need for tags, or just automatically tag for us
3 - add "word cloud" capability
4 - eliminate the need for the copy/paste pop-up window
5 - add automatic spell cheeker capability
6 - improved search capability (based on thread or subject or date, etc.)
7 - better navigation controls (top and bottom of screen)
8 - get rid of all the white space - leaving more room for content (is king after all)
9 - add a calendar view showing posts
10 - add a "you are here" breadcrumb trail to every page
11 - add an icon for posts with 'files attached'
12 - use more font colors variations
13 - better categorization of products
14 - get rid of all the white space

Thanks for glistening.

15 - tool tips that display the post content when hovering over the subject line
16 - make each post a bookmark, and then add a hyperlink to take you to the first/last post in the thread
17 - allow partial post quoting
18 - add emoticon selector
19 - capability to add images directly from the hard drive
20 - add section showing "similar threads" with hyperlinks
21 - add # views indicator
22 - indicator for 'members actively viewing this thread' with hyperlinks
23 - add "search this thread" capability
24 - add skins capability
25 - add control panel
26 - add podcasts and rss feeds
27 - add ability to 'rate threads' (I already know what rating this one will get ;-0)

Your replies seem to have morphed beyond the original topic. As such, you should consider posting them in the Be Communities Feedback forum.

Well I stand corrected. According to this post, Chris Bober says that these forums are NOT the place to request "wishes" or needed enhancements to a product.  Seems PMs are too busy to watch and any customer friendly information will get "lost in the fray". How sad, but it looks like everyone has to file Change Requests into the black hole of never finding out when something may be deemed useful until it is lucky enough to get included in a release.

Well I stand corrected. According to this post, Chris Bober says that these forums are NOT the place to request "wishes" or needed enhancements to a product.  Seems PMs are too busy to watch and any customer friendly information will get "lost in the fray". How sad, but it looks like everyone has to file Change Requests into the black hole of never finding out when something may be deemed useful until it is lucky enough to get included in a release.

Steve,

You can just ask. My email is chris(dot)bober(at)bentley(dot)com

And for the record no one said or wrote we are to busy to listen to users.

Please also read the latest at http://communities.bentley.com/Communities/Other_Communities/MicroStation_V8i__SELECTseries_1__Early_Access_Program/f/63797/t/34035.aspx

Regards,

-Chris

 

 

SteveMeyer:

How sad, but it looks like everyone has to file Change Requests into the black hole of never finding out when something may be deemed useful until it is lucky enough to get included in a release.

My point exactly. End users have no way of knowing what issues have been submitted nor their status. At least with a forum end users can interact with the development team and each other on getting issues resolved.

Another argument I have for a wish list forum is there can be multiple forums that are related..i.e. Civil site design and this one. Without a wish list forum the wishes are scattered throughout muiltiple forums, again making it difficult to monitor them. Again, having a product specific forum would be a much better way to exchange product issues in my opinion.